Combined floor mop and wringer



' Oct. 30, 1956 A. KARLlT-SKY OF AND WRINGER COMBINED FLOOR M Filed June 4 Abra/1am Karl/fs/ry IN V EN TOR.

United States Paten 1,768,398 columnar FLOOR MOP ANl? WRINGER Abraham Karlitsky, Brooklyn, N. 3 Application June 29, 1954, Serial No. 440,000

I .2 Claims. (l-;'1S=-.1-19:).

My invention relates to, combined floor mops and mop wringers of the folding mop head type.

The primary, object of my invention is. to provide in a mop of the type. specified an efiicientform of sectional mop head foldable tosqueeze and wring a mop element, and operating means for folding and unfolding the mop head easily operated from the rear end of a handle to fold said mop head so as to exert the requisite amount of pressure against the mop element for wringing the same.

Another object is to provide means for automatically locking the operating means when the mop head is unfolded so as to lock the mop head in unfolded mopping position.

Still another object is to provide a mop for the above purposes which is durable, simply constructed and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects together with the precise nature of my improvements will become apparent when the following description and claims are read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved mop in a preferred embodiment thereof with the mop head unfolded;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the mop element and attaching units with a part of one unit removed to illustrate parts beneath the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section partly in front elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing the mop head folded;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the irregular line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in longitudinal section and partly in plan of the handle and parts of the operating means for folding and unfolding the mop head and taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the handle of my improved mop, 3 the folding mop head, 5 the mop element, and 7 designates as a unit the operating means for folding and unfolding the mop head.

The handle 1 is of elongated round form and may be formed of wood or of metal, as desired, and in any suitable length.

The mop head 3 comprises a pair of rectangular metal plate sections 9 arranged end to end. The mop head 3 extends longitudinally transversely of and in front of the handle 1 and the plate sections 9 thereof are hinged together at adjacent ends thereof for swinging downwardly and upwardly into folded and unfolded positions, respectively. For this purpose, said sections 9 are pivoted together at inner ends and front corners thereof by a transverse pin 11 extending through overlapping de pending ears 13 on said corners.

The mop element 5 comprises an elongated substantially rectangular slab of cellulose sponge. Each plate section 9 is attached to the top of the mop element 5 at one side of the transverse center of said element by means 2,768,398 Ba entetl Q t- .9 a

of an attaching, unit- 7. o e" of w is bes hown.

Figures2 and 3. Each unit 17 comprises a metal rectangular open frame 19 interposed between a pair of upper and. lower rectangular cloth panels. 21, 23. The lower panel 23. is secured by glue, notshown, to the; element; 5-, A pair ofthreaded studs 2 5, on diagonally op-, posite. corners of the frame 19, extend through the associated plate section; 9- withwing nuts. 27, and detachably secure said section s tosaid, units 17 and to. the, mop ele The operating means; 7 comprises a pair of rockable. rods 29- at. opposite sides of the handle. 1 parallelinter; mediate. their ends with, said handle and. rockably mounk d in from, rearand intermediate bearing plates 3 1;, 3,3,; fixed n. saidhaad iby; babe 3 .9 1 and p ns .3:. 45, 47 in said handle and hubs. A Pair of; laterally and. outw rdly: ext ndinac ank andles 49 nthe. ea en of; said rods, rearwa dly of; the. bea n p ate 3.3.. P Q? vii-detot rac n sair mds 2 Av pa r trcr nlc arms 51 on the front ends of said rods 29 forwardly of the front bearing plate 31 extend laterally from said rods 29 longitudinally of the plate sections 9 and are operatively Referring now to the operation of the invention as so far described, the mop element 5 is unfolded and straightened out to be imposed on the floor when the mop head 3 is in unfolded position, as shown in Figure 1, with inner edges of the plate sections 9 abutting and said sec tions inclining downwardly and outwardly from each other. With the handle 1 and rods 29 held under one arm, the crank handles 49 may be swung downwardly toward each other to rock the rods 29 so as to swing the crank arms 51 downwardly toward each other. This causes the crank arms 51 to fold the plate sections downwardly toward each other to fold the mop element 5 upon itself, all as shown in Figure 3, to squeeze and wring said element. During folding of the plate sections 9, the same may slide and swing on the crank arms 51 to compensate for the throw of the crank arms 51. When the handles 49 are swung upwardly into the normal position shown in Figure 1, the plate sections 9 can be unfolded positively to straighten out the mop element 5.

The means for locking the operating means so as to lock the mop head unfolded comprises a transverse locking plate 61 slidable on and along the rods 29 and handle 1 to the rear of the bearing plate 33 and between said bearing plate 33 and crank handles 49. Coil springs 63 on said rods 29 interposed between said bearing plate 33 and locking plate 61 urge said locking plate 61 rearwardly into engagement with the crank handles 49. A pair of downwardly inclined grooves 65 in the locking plate 61 seat the crank handles 49 with a snap action when said handles 49 are swung into position to unfold the plate sections 9, which is to say, the mop head 3, and mop element 5. As will be seen, the operating means 7 may be unlocked by swinging the crank handles 49 out of the grooves 65 in opposition to the springs 63. Collars 67 fast on the rods 29 and engaging the front side of the front bearing plate 31 prevent rearward sliding of the rods 29 in the bearing plates 31, 33, 35 under pressure of the locking plate 61 against the crank handles 49.

The foregoing will suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as herein disclosed, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a floor mop, an elongated handle having a front end, a mop head in front of said handle comprising a pair of plate sections hinged together for folding toward each other, a pair of rods at opposite sides ofsaid handle parallel therewith and having front ends extending forwardly of said handle, means on said handle in which said rods are journaled for rocking movement about the axes thereof, means on the front ends of said rods supporting said sections in forwardly spaced relation to said handle and operatively connected to said sections to fold the same upon rocking of said rods, and terminal crank handles on said rods for rocking the same, said last named means comprising a pair of cranks rigidly connected to the front ends of said rods and extending laterally therefrom for swinging by rocking of said rods and bearings on said plate sections in which said cranks are rotatable and endwise slidable.

2. In a floor mop, an elongated handle having a front end, a mop head in front of said handle comprising a pair of plate sections hinged together for folding toward each other, a pair of rods at opposite sides of said handle parallel therewith and having front ends extending forwardly of said handle, means on said handle in which said rods are journaled for rocking movement about the axes thereof, means on the front ends of said rods supporting said sections in forwardly spaced relation to said handle and operatively connected to said sections to fold the same upon rocking of said rods, terminal crank handles on said rods for rocking the same, and a spring pressed sliding plate on said first named handle having grooves therein engaging said crank handles with a snap action to releasably lock and to prevent rocking of said rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 603,999 Ballam May 10, 1898 2,685,098 Palma Aug. 3, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 216,565 Germany Nov. 24, 1909 617,197 Germany Aug. 14, 1935 697,400 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1953 

